Bust of Peter Lambert in Nells Park, Trier

Peter Lambert (1 June 1859 – 28 February 1939)^[1] was a German rose breeder from Trier.

Life

Peter Lambert was born on 1 June 1859 in Trier, Kingdom of Prussia. He acquired a knowledge of roses working with his father Nicholas Lambert in the Lambert & Reiter nursery, later Lambert & Söhne (Lambert & Sons). The brothers Johann and Nicholas had started the firm in 1869 with Jean Reiter, a nurseryman. Peter trained at a Prussian school of horticulture and gained experience working in nurseries in France and England. In 1891 he started his own nursery, eventually employing more than seventy workers.^[2][3]

In 1900 he married Léonie Lamesch, daughter of the Luxembourg rose breeder. To her he had dedicated one of his dwarf Polyanthas crossing Polyanthas with Noisettes. He maintained good contacts with Luxembourg nurseries (Soupert & Notting, Gemen-Bourg, and Ketten Frères), who distributed his varieties.^[2][4]

Peter Lambert helped establish the Europa-Rosarium at Sangerhausen in 1904 and the rosarium in Zweibrücken in 1914. He was also a founder of the Verein Deutscher Rosenfreunde (German Rose Society). He became its director and edited its Rosen-Zeitung 1890–1911.^[3] He was a jurist for rose competitions in Saint Petersburg, Paris, Haarlem, London, Lyon and Florence.

Lambert's catalogues in the years 1914-1931 are a valuable treasure trove of the most important roses of his time.^[2]

Lambert's rose dedications (over 100 by 1914) make a survey of contemporary German wartime and pre-war society. There are the usual rose people and their relations. Likewise aristocratic and military worthies, though the sabre rattles more loudly than usual: the rose 'Herero-Trotha' celebrates von Trotha's genocidal efforts in German Southwest Africa. Danzig is declared in 1935 to be 'Deutsches Danzig.' There is an "economic adviser," a "financial adviser" and a "confidential adviser," no doubt prominent public servants. Other names show Lambert's interest in poets ('Hoffmann von Fallersleben'), wine-growing areas and chess players.^[2]

He died on 28 February 1939.

"Lambert's garden in the walls of the old Benedictine abbey in Trier and his collection of roses … were all destroyed during World War II."^[3] After the war, a street in Trier was named after him and a rose garden in Nells Park planted in his honour.^[2]

Rose breeding

From the late 1890s Lambert began to breed his own rose varieties, introducing the first ones in 1899. The Alsatian Schmitt's Three Graces – the roses 'Thalia', 'Euphrosyne' and 'Aglaïa'– were promoted by Lambert and provided material for many of his early crosses.

For fifty years Lambert bred original and much admired hybrid teas ('Kaiserin Auguste Viktoria', 'Frau Karl Druschki'), Chinas ('Unermüdliche'), Hybrid perpetuals ('Moselblümchen'), Rugosa crosses ('Schneezwerg'), Pernetianas ('Von Scharnhorst'), Bourbon–China crosses ('Adam Messerich') and Multiflora ramblers ('Mosel').

Lambert selected roses for good health by avoiding parents that displayed a weakness for mildew or rust. As a result, a century later his roses remain among the healthiest … In 1905, Lambert named the vigorous, free-flowering and remontant shrub 'Trier' in honour of his home town. He then used 'Trier' to develop a distinct class of large, repeat-flowering Hybrid Musk shrubs and climbers with wonderfully handsome leaves and a deliciously strong scent. These became known as the Lambertianas.^[5]

Lambert and his firm survived World War I but

the defeat and humiliation of World War I weighed heavily on him … and he found the 1920s a difficult time to earn a living. His natural curiosity faded, and he failed to keep pace with the innovations of younger rose breeders … he stuck increasingly to his own breeding lines and seldom took in new genes from other breeders' breakthroughs.^[6]

Not surprisingly his production of new varieties declined in the 1930s, his own seventies. But the very late 'Mozart' and 'Martha Lambert' are striking and original.

Sortable list of Peter Lambert roses^[7]

Name	Date	Type	Colour	Photo
Moselblümchen	1889	Hybrid perpetual	Red
Rheingold	1889	Tea	Orange and yellow
Kaiserin Auguste Viktoria	1891	Hybrid tea	White
Mosella	1895	Polyantha	Cream and yellow
Thalia (by Schmitt)	1895	Rambler	White
Euphrosyne (by Schmitt)	1896	Multiflora rambler	Pink
Aglaïa (by Schmitt)	1895	Multiflora hybrid	Light yellow
Frau Geheimrat von Boch	1897	Tea	Cream, pink edges
Hélène	1897	Multiflora rambler	Lilac pink
Oscar Kordel	1897	Hybrid perpetual	Carmine red
Balduin	1898	Hybrid tea	Red
Großherzogin Viktoria Melitta von Hessen	1898	Hybrid tea	white
Herzogin Marie von Ratibor	1898	Tea	Yellow blend
Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt	1898	Tea	Pink blend
Eugenie Lamesch	1899	Polyantha	Yellow blend
Goldquelle	1899	Tea	Yellow and red
Hofgartendirektor Graebener	1899	Hybrid tea	Yellow blend
Papa Lambert	1899	Hybrid tea	Medium pink
Léonie Lamesch	1899	Polyantha	Copper
Frau Syndica Roeloffs	1900	China	Deep yellow
Schneewittchen	1901	Polyantha	Cream
Katharina Zeimet	1901	Polyantha	White
Tiergarten	1901	Multiflora hybrid	Deep yellow
Frau Karl Druschki	1901	Hybrid tea	White
Aschenbrödel	1902	Polyantha	Light pink
Domkapitular Dr. Lager	1903	Hybrid tea	Salmon-pink
Frau Lilla Rautenstrauch	1903	Hybrid tea	Orange-pink
Freiherr von Marschall	1903	Tea	Carmine-red
Gustav Grünerwald	1903	Hybrid tea	Pink
Morgenrot	1903	Climber	Red
Philippine Lambert	1903	Polyantha	Pink
Schneekopf	1903	Polyantha	White
Thalia Remontant	1903	Multiflora hybrid climber	White
Abelle Weber-Paté	1904	Polyantha	White
Adolphe van den Heede	1904	Hybrid tea	Cream
Edu Meyer	1904	Hybrid tea	Yellow
Frau Cecilie Walter	1904	Polyantha	Light yellow
Hélène Videnz	1904	Multiflora hybrid	Salmon-pink
Gruß an Zabern	1904	Multiflora hybrid	White blend
Kleiner Alfred	1904	Polyantha	Yellow
Oberhofgärtner A. Singer	1904	Hybrid perpetual	Carmine red
Otto von Weddingen	1904
Unermüdliche	1904	China	Pink blend
Trier	1904	Multiflora hybrid	Cream
Abendstern	1905	Multiflora hybrid	White blend
Augenschein	1905	Multiflora hybrid	Yellow–white
Direktor W. Cordes	1905	Hybrid tea	Yellow blend
Graf Fritz von Hochberg	1905	Hybrid tea	Salmon-pink
Hermann Raue	1905	Hybrid tea	Salmon-pink
Herrin von Lieser	1905	Hybrid tea	Light yellow
Lucien de Lemos	1905	Hybrid tea	Light pink
Carmen	1906	Hybrid rugosa	Dark red
Frau Ernst Borsig	1906	Hybrid tea	Carmine pink
Herero-Trotha	1906	Tea	Yellow
Lina Schmidt-Michel	1906	Hybrid tea	Pink
Frau Alfred Mauthner	1907	Hybrid tea	Pink
Avelsbach	1908	Multiflora hybrid	Red and yellow
Frau Geheimrat Dr. Staub	1908	Climber	Dark red
Frau Oberhofgärtner Singer	1908	Hybrid tea	Pink blend
Frau Oberhofgärtner Luiger	1908	Hybrid tea	Pink and white
Frau Philipp Siesmayer	1908	Hybrid tea	Orange-pink
Großherzog Friedrich von Baden	1908	Hybrid tea	Pink blend
Parkfeuer	1908	Hybrid foetida	Scarlet
Philipp Paulig	1908	Hybrid perpetual	Dark red
Rankende Miniature	1908	Polyantha	Light pink
Rose Benary	1908	Hybrid tea	Pink and yellow
Adrian Reverchon	1909	Multiflora hybrid	Carmine pink
Alsterufer	1909	Hybrid tea	Crimson-carmine
Backfisch	1909	Polyantha	Salmon-pink
Bettelstudent	1909	Polyantha	Carmine-red
Cineraria	1909	Polyantha	Red
Excellenz Kuntze	1909	Multiflora hybrid	Light yellow
Excellenz von Schubert	1909	Multiflora hybrid	Carmine pink
Frau Alexander Weiß	1909	Polyantha	Pink
Frau Oberhofgärtner Schulze	1909	Polyantha	Deep pink
Frau Ottilie Lüntzel	1909	Polyantha	Cream
Geheimrat Dr. Mittweg	1909	Polyantha	Pink blend
Gustel Mayer	1909	Polyantha	Red
Hildenbrandseck	1909	Rugosa hybrid	Carmine-red
Kommerzienrat W. Rautenstrauch	1909	Hybrid foetida	Salmon-pink
Lustige Witwe	1909	Polyantha	Carmine-red
Mieze	1909	Polyantha	Orange-yellow
Mme Léon Simon	1909	Hybrid tea	Deep pink
Tip-Top	1909	Polyantha	Orange-yellow
Trierisch Kind	1909	Polyantha	Pink-mauve
Unser Peti	1909	Polyantha	Peach-pink
Zigeunerknabe (by Geschwind)	1909	Bourbon hybrid	Violet and red
Excellenz M. Schmidt-Metzler	1910	Hybrid tea	White blend
Gartenstadt Liegnitz	1910	Polyantha	Purple-red
Gräfin Stefanie Wedel	1910	Hybrid tea	White blend
Freifrau Ida von Schubert	1911	Hybrid tea	Dark red
Fürstin von Pless	1911	Rugosa hybrid	White
Gräfin Marie Henriette Chotek	1911	Multiflora hybrid	Dark red
Hauff	1911	Multiflora hybrid	Mauve blend
Goethe (possibly by Geschwind)	1911	Moss	Scarlet
Schneezwerg	1911	Hybrid rugosa	White
Amalie de Greiff	1912	Hybrid tea	Coral-pink
Heine	1912	Multiflora hybrid	White
Luise Lilia	1912	Hybrid tea	Dark red
Oriole	1912	Multiflora hybrid	Yellow
Arndt	1913	Multiflora hybrid climber	Salmon-pink
Baron Palm	1913	Hybrid tea	Red
Frau von Brauer	1913	Wichurana hybrid	White
Freifrau von der Goltz	1913	Hybrid tea	Salmon-pink
Freifrau von Marschall	1913	Wichurana hybrid	Light pink
Fritz Reuter	1913	Multiflora hybrid	Carmine-red
Jona	1913	Hybrid tea	Red
Mannheim	1913	Hybrid tea	unknown
Ökonomierat Echtermayer	1913	Hybrid tea	Carmine pink
Prinzessin Adolf zu Schaumburg-Lippe	1913	Hybrid tea	unknown
Resi Bindseil	1913	Hybrid perpetual	Red
Schiller	1913	Multiflora hybrid	Peach-pink
Leonie Lambert	1913	Hybrid perpetual	Light pink
Dr. Bender	1914	Tea	unknown
H. F. Eilers	1914	Hybrid tea	Carmine-red
Herzogin von Calabrien	1914	Hybrid tea	Cream
Körner	1914	Multiflora hybrid	Orange-yellow
Lessing	1914	Multiflora hybrid	Pink, white stripes
Margarete Heike	1914	Polyantha	White
Peter Rosegger	1914	Multiflora climber	Coral-pink
Rückert	1914	Multiflora climber	Yellow
Prinzessin Hildegard von Bayern	1914	Hybrid tea	Light yellow
Detlev von Liliencron	1915	Hybrid foetida	Cream
Emmy von Dippe	1915	Hybrid tea	Yellow-pink
Generalin Isenbart	1915	Hybrid tea	Pink
Generaloberst von Hindenburg	1915	Hybrid tea	Pink blend
Graf Silva Tarouca	1915	Hybrid tea	Carmine-red
Gruß an Zweibrücken	1915	Hybrid tea	Dark red
Helene von Zwehl	1915	China	Coral-red
Kaiser Franz Joseph	1915	Pernetiana	Orange–deep pink
Kapitän von Müller	1915	Hybrid tea	Crimson
Kronprinz Ruprecht	1915	Hybrid perpetual	Dark red
Von Hardenberg	1915	Hybrid lutea	Cream
Weddigen	1915	Hybrid tea	Light pink
Generaloberst von Kluck	1916	Hybrid tea	Carmine-red
Graf Fritz von Schwerin	1916	Hybrid tea	Pink
Königin Maria Therese	1916	Hybrid tea	Carmine pink
Kronprinz Wilhelm	1916	Hybrid tea	Pink blend
Wieland	1916	Polyantha hybrid	Red
Gellert	1917	Multiflora hybrid climber	White
Hoffmann von Fallersleben	1917	Multiflora hybrid climber	Apricot blush
Uhland	1917	Polyantha hybrid	Yellow-orange
Hermann Robinow	1918	Pernetiana	Salmon-pink
Justizrat Dr. Hessert	1918	Hybrid tea	Pink blend
Dr. Helfferich	1919	Hybrid tea	Rose pink
Dr. Ing. H. Blohm	1919	Hybrid perpetual	Dark red
Heinrich Conrad Söth	1919	Multiflora hybrid	Deep pink
Lisbeth Stellmacher	1919	Polyantha	Golden-=yellow
Adam Messerich	1920	Bourbon	Rose pink
Marie Henriette Gräfin Chotek	1920	Multiflora rambler	Crimson
Mosel	1920	Multiflora rambler	Mauve
Von Scharnhorst	1921	Pernetiana	Light yellow
Bischof Dr. Korum	1922	Hybrid perpetual	Pink and yellow
Chamisso	1922	Multiflora rambler	Light pink
Frau H. Stakemann	1922	Hybrid tea	unknown
Therese Zeimet-Lambert	1923	Hybrid tea	Carmine pink
Gneisenau	1924	Multiflora hybrid	White blend
St. Ingbert	1926	Hybrid perpetual	White
Studienrat Schlenz	1926	Hybrid tea	Rose pink
Druschki Rubra	1929	Hybrid perpetual	red
Ausonius	1932	Multiflora hybrid	Light pink
Grimm	1932	Multiflora hybrid climber	Light pink
Heideröslein	1932	Multiflora hybrid climber	Salmon-pink
Mosellied	1932	Multiflora hybrid	Purple-red
Rudolf von Bennigsen	1932	Climber	rose-pink
Goldene Druschki	1933	Hybrid perpetual	Golden-yellow
Reichspräsident von Hindenburg	1931	Hybrid tea	Pink blend
Gartendirektor Otto Linne	1934	Polyantha hybrid	Carmine pink
Kletternde Hermann Robinow	1934	Pernetiana	Salmon-pink
Deutsches Danzig	1935	Polyantha	Carmine pink
Mozart	1937	Multiflora hybrid	Deep pink
Aloysia Kaiser	1939	Climber	Yellow and red
Martha Lambert	1939	Polyantha	Red

References

External links

• Help Me Find list for the breeder Lambert, Peter. The array of photos is incomparable.